


On the Radar

by alltoseek



Category: White Collar
Genre: Angst, Episode Fix-it, Episode Related, Episode Tag, Episode: s02e16 Under the Radar, Gen, Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 11:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9546869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltoseek/pseuds/alltoseek
Summary: Peter brought up Neal’s tracking app. Somehow it always made him feel better, seeing that little dot safe in his home. Though God knew Neal could wreak as much havoc from his apartment as from anywhere--Neal wasn’t at home.An alternate ending to "Under the Radar".





	

Fuming, jaw set in determination, Peter watched as Neal stormed off past the car, past Diana and Jones.

 _“Prove it!”_ lingered in the air.

Peter would, dammit Neal, dammit it all to hell, but first things first. His “consultant” might be done here, but there was still work for the FBI: securing the scene, arresting Adler’s henchmen, recovering evidence.

Peter closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on the work in front of him. “Jones!” he called. “Here, take my weapon until the shooting investigation is done.” Peter turned to his other agent. “Diana, keep an eye on Neal’s tracker. If he does anything besides head straight home or to the office, I want to know.”

“On it, boss.”

It was a long night of supervising the scene, making his statement, writing up reports. The fire marshal’s office wouldn’t be able to release the site to ERT for several days, according to estimates. Even after the fire was extinguished, the whole structure was highly unstable and it was unknown if there was more TNT or other explosives on site. Not to mention the marshal’s investigation into the initial cause of the explosion.

However, informal oral reports from the firefighters indicated that there likely had been a great deal of artwork, gold, and gems present at the time of the explosion.

Well, Peter didn’t doubt that. But he was all too aware of Neal’s swap-and-steal method of theft. For now, he let the issue simmer in the back of his mind while he focused on the work in front of him.

~o~

“Hey, boss.”

“Diana,” Peter acknowledged, weary. “I think we’re about done here, for tonight. You can go on home.”

“Thanks. I just wanted to let you know - you asked me to monitor Neal’s tracker.”

“Yeah, whaddya got?”

“Looks like he stopped at a café on the way home - he was there about half an hour. Then it seems he caught a cab, because he started moving a lot faster. The cab took him straight home, and his tracker shows him at home now.”

“Great. Thanks, Diana.” Peter blew out a breath. “I’m gonna take off pretty soon. I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”

In the car Peter rested his head against the back of the seat, trying to work up the energy to drive home, and make it there in one piece. It’s not as if the night wasn’t bad enough, what with shooting Adler - killing him, dammit, still made him sick to think about it, the man was a bastard and he should’ve gone to court where everyone could see what a bastard he was - and the explosion, and the worry about Neal. The constant, constant worry - did he get blown up? Would Peter make his shot in time to save Neal from Adler’s gun? And then… and then… dammit, the man was impossible. 

Because the worst - no, not the worst, but one of the top three, right now - what if Peter had been wrong in his accusation? The explosion, the shooting - he’d been so on edge - and then that scrap of painting. And Adler’s words. He’d felt it in his gut and he’d lashed out, but… What if he was wrong? 

God he felt like shit.

One more time he tried to focus on starting the car, but his hand landed on his phone instead. He’d call El, tell her he was on his way. Maybe. It was so late, he didn’t want to wake her.

He brought up Neal’s tracking app instead. Somehow it always made him feel better, seeing that little dot safe in his home. Though God knew Neal could wreak as much havoc from his apartment as from anywhere--

Neal wasn’t at home. 

_Dammit dammit dammit._

A surge of adrenaline and Peter started the car.

**~o~o~o~**

Neal’d been furious when he’d left site of destruction. It wasn’t enough to have been nearly blown up, nearly shot, watched a man killed, and seen a priceless collection of irreplaceable art go up in smoke; but somehow all this was supposed to be _all his fault._

He didn’t know what Peter was thinking, nor Adler for that matter. After everything he and Peter’d been through - for weeks now, he’d been doing everything Peter’s way, nothing underhanded at all. But one word from a criminal mastermind and Peter was--

All right, Neal thought, resting at a cafe. He knew what Peter’d been thinking. 

Hope.

Neal’d pulled off miraculous stunts before. If he could have saved the art -- well, that’s better than it all being destroyed.

Neal only wished it were true.

Riding comfortably home in the cab, Neal’s thoughts turned more charitable. So Neal’d had to see a man die - Peter was the one who’d shot him. That’s got to be eating at him. The explosion would have been a shock to everyone, and Peter’s always so damned worried about him.

Not to mention, Peter’s never at his best when an operation goes south. He tends to lash out at whoever’s nearby. Last year he’d accused Neal of letting Pierce go on purpose, but then he clearly hadn’t meant it.

At home, the key and card in his hands, all thoughts of Peter fled Neal’s mind. 

~o~

In the building on Gansevoort, emotions flooded through Neal. Incredulity, relief, joy, delirious _joy_ \- and then the _possibilities_. All the amazing possibilities.

_Peter was wrong, but he was still right._

The thought flashed through Neal’s head, and he tried to dismiss it in the surge of wonder at _everything_ \- the world laid out before him. He could do _anything_ \--

_except Peter - what about Peter?_

What about him? Neal tried to bring up the anger he’d felt before. Peter’d seemed convinced that despite everything, Neal would never change. He’d always be a thief. So why not? Peter would love being right. Neal can be a thief, and Peter can be right--

 _Peter would love seeing all this treasure_. Without being surrounded by explosives or held at gunpoint.

_You can be a con or a man._

Forget Peter - which did Neal want to be? A con, surrounded by beautiful works of art, living the high life, full of glamor and wealth; or a - a man, an ordinary man, with -- friends, family (maybe), a job… all the ordinary things ordinary people have. Which did he want?

Neal reached for his phone.

~o~

Peter picked up on the first ring. “Yeah, Neal?”

“Hey, Peter, I, um, I’ve got something you’ll want to see.”

Behind him, Neal heard the door open, and he spun around.

“I’m glad you called, Neal,” said Peter, smiling at him.


End file.
